An exciting cast for Xanadu

MANILA, Philippines - Atlantis Productions is cooking up yet another amazing show, this time with musical theater aficionados and curious viewers being brought back to the bright lights and raucous sounds of the ’80s in Xanadu The Musical.

Guaranteed to be as colorful and upbeat as a rollerskating disco, the production has a whirling dervish of an ensemble cast, with director Bobby Garcia at the helm. He shares, “I’m thrilled to be directing Xanadu. It is a musical I was instantly smitten with when I saw it in New York in 2007. I suspect it will be one of the zaniest rehearsal periods I have had and I look forward to the fun with this amazing cast!”

And what a cast it is. Frontlining this hilarious show about following your dreams despite the limitations others have set out for you are two celebrated musical theater artists, Rachel Alejandro and Felix Rivera.

Rachel, who endeared herself to theatergoers with her dual portrayals of Kate Monster and Lucy the Slut in Avenue Q is welcoming what is apparently the most demanding role she’s ever tackled, this time as Kira in Xanadu. She’ll be singing, dancing, and rollerskating to the famous Olivia Newton-John and Electric Light Orchestra tunes.

Felix Rivera, considered Philippine theater’s “golden boy” (he led the cast of four musicals this year alone!) is more than prepared for his latest demanding role, this time as male lead Sonny.

Also in the musical are equally passionate and fiery performers certain to keep your eyes fixated on the theater stage: Noel Trinidad as Danny, Chari Arespacochaga and Yael Pineda playing Melpomene and Calliope (the show’s “Evil Women”), respectively, and Anthony Ong, Glen Llanes, Alys Serdenia and Bea Garcia portraying the Greek Muses.

Yael, who was also with Atlantis Productions in The Rocky Horror Show, returns to join this musical from seven years in Disney’s The Lion King Australia and London. She will return to do The Lion King in Singapore next year.

Xanadu The Musical promises to be a musical adventure that’s hilarity on wheels for audiences of every age, who are bound to be inspired by the theme of going for what you want with all you’ve got.

The cast members shared their own personal bouts and challenges about wanting to catch a star and their journey to claim it as their own realized dream. Catch a glimpse of their answers to this short question about making it happen:

What was the one dream you persistently set your sights on and were proudly able to achieve?

Rachel Alejandro — “When my sister Barni and I were kids we used to talk about owning a restaurant someday. I thought of starting a health food delivery service called The Sexy Chef. With no knowledge of how to start or run a business, we bravely plunged into it. And now six years later, I’m proud to say our food business is thriving — just because we dared to dream and believe.”

Felix Rivera — “I dreamed that I’d be able to find my place in the world and be recognized somewhat for what I can do. And thanks to good people and providence, I’m doing what I love now: performing. And I’m still working on getting better…and becoming captain of a starship.”

 Noel Trinidad — “Making a mark in the entertainment industry. I’d like to think I achieved that with the TV Show Champoy which was my creation.”

Chari Arespacochaga — “To direct and to become Mary Testa! And then to keep on creating stories onstage.”

Yael Pineda — “To perform in West End. And because of this, I continue to learn and be open-minded about things that come my way and achieve my goals to the best of my abilities.”

Bea Garcia — “As a child, my parents always reminded me that real success is achieved when you enjoy what you do. Luckily, I fell in love with theater at a very young age. And I continue to work hard to improve what I do.”

Anthony Ong — “Having been bitten by the “theater bug” from my elementary and high school plays, I knew I wanted to be on stage and eventually make a career for myself in theater. I have been blessed enough to be consistently working as a theater artist ever since I finished school.”

Alys Serdenia — “Performing in musicals and entertaining people. It hasn’t been an easy road. But the feeling of achievement and satisfaction that I get when I do what I do best is something that I can’t put a price tag on.”

Glen Llanes — “One dream I always persistently tried to achieve was to perform on stage and share my talents in front of an audience. I went to school and studied something completely different from the arts. However, in the back of my mind I always knew I was destined to perform and that is where my passion truly lies. This dream has led to many amazing opportunities such as performing one of my dream roles of Angel in Rent and performing in my mother’s homeland, the Philippines!”

Be ready to be inspired as you roll to the tunes in the original hit score composed by pop-rock legends Jeff Lynne and John Farrar, and includes, Magic, All Over The World, Suddenly, I’m Alive, Evil Woman, Have You Never Been Mellow and Xanadu, to name a few legends Jeff Lynne and John Farrar and includes, Magic, All Over The World, Suddenly, I’m Alive, Evil Woman, Have You Never Been Mellow and Xanadu, to name a few. Xanadu is based on the Universal Pictures’ cult classic movie of the same title, which starred Olivia Newton-John and Gene Kelly.

For tickets, call Atlantis Productions at 892-7078 or 840-1187.